Antiarch intake



March 23, 1954 N. H. GEBHARDT 2,673,127

ANTIARCH INTAKE Filed April 26, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.|

- Inventor 4 is NEIL H. GEBHARDT,

Horney March 23, 1954 N. H. GEBHARDT 2,673,127

ANTIARCH INTAKE Filed April 26, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor:

Patented Mar. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,673,127

ANTIARCH INTAKE Neil H. Gebhardt, Erie, Pa. Application April 26, 1949, Serial No. 89,729 13 Claims. 302-39) This invention relates to apparatus for transporting material by a the conduit distant from the point of entry. Similar results are obtained by by-passing a chosen portion of the conveying fluid, such as air, around the intake conduit, or by bleeding the vacuum line.

In the particular illustration of the invention selected in this case there has been illustrated an ash removing system but this is illustrative In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the system.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the intake portion of the conveying conduit here shown as a pipe.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the entry pipe.

parallel to the sides of Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are cross sections respectively on lines 4-4, 55, 6-6, and 1-1 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 shows a modified form.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the intake pipe of Figure 8.

Referring first to the diagrammatic view, Figure 1,

is started, a current of air passes thru the pipes l5, l8 and I1 and ashes in the receptacle I0 pass thru the openings protected in part by shields 20 and 2! and pass thru the pipe Hi to the receptacle H which may be of The particular form ll may be altered within wide limits.

of the tank or truck body I I and these particles then collect first at the bottom at the far side, as indicated by the numeral 6!, while the air passes under the bafile 59 and thru the separator or filter l 9 to the pipe I1. Referring now to Figure 2, the pipe or duct I4 has a, relatively small entry end 23 and a relatively large exit end 24. I prefer that the area the area of the pipes of the exit end 24 shall be at least double the cross sectional area of the entry end and that IE and It shall be about the same as the area of the exit end 24 and, therefore, about twice the area of the intake end thus giving an appreciable Velocity at the initial end of the intake pipe. The pipe at its entry end 23 is preferably rectangular and preferably having a height of less than one-third its width but could readily be of other shape.

As seen in Figure 2, in which the adjusting plates are purposely omitted, the first entry hole 25 is just about half the width of the pip and its entire rear portion is covered by the shield 20, the top of the shield being domed if desired but preferably of plan dimensions as the rear portion of the hole 25 and being elevated about twice the height of the height of the intake pipe at this point. t the rear the shield has a back panel as which merges with the top 30 of the intake pipe which at this point is of a height, on that side of the conduit, midway between the top of the shield 23 and the top EH of the pipe. The second is numbered 32 and like the initial hole E is of half the width of the pipe. The shield 2! is quite similar to the shield 20 and like it has a rear panel at which joins the top 353 of th intake pipe so that beyond the shield 2! the intake pipe is rectangular being a bit wider than it is high.

If the pipe exactly as in Figure 2 were designed for a particular amount of fluid at a given rate of speed and a given volume of material to be carried, the initial edges of the holes 26 and 32 could be placed at such a distance from the initial edges of the shields that the flow would be exactly as desired. In practice, however, the intake margins must be adjusted with considerable care and I therefore provide, as best seen in Figure 3, a slide tries and a similar slide M for the other entry. Each of the slides consists in a perfectly flat plate having a central slot d2 so that it can be secured in any adjusted position longitudinally of the pipe as for example by a set screw 63. The slides are mounted on the top surface 3! of the intake pipe and by moving either slide longitudinally so that it does not reach the shield or at the other extreme so that it extends quite well inside of th shield, the volume of flow into the holes 25 and 32 can be very accurately adjusted. Arather normal setting for say sixty feet of line would be that the far intake 32 should have its slide about A, inch inside of the shield 21 whereas the initial intake would have its inch away from the initial portion of the shield. The best results are hadwhen the exit portion 24 has a definite suction, the entry portion 23a definite pressure, and these are balanced just beyond th rear wall 29 of shield 2d, that is a bit in front or" the initial edge of shield 2!.

Considering that the material is flowing thru the pipe an arch would tend to form at a point in front of each of the entry holes 25 and 32. But since the current is deflected by the forming arches, the current naturally follows a sinuous curve denoted by the dashed arrows at. This sinuous curve of air or liquid will erode each of the arches thus being formed by pulling away a portion of their supporting surfaces and the greater the building of the arch, thestronger the force tending to dislodge one or both of its supports; consequently while arches-do tend to form, they are destroyed long before they have an appreciable effect on the flow of the ashes, finely dd for one of the intake enslide edge about divided material, or solid objects being carried by the fluid stream.

In the somewhat modified form shown in Figure 8 the hopper Illa has a simpler intake pipe, the on shown having no adjustment. The pipe Ma is illustrated as having two openings but either of the two openings may be used alone. The initial opening 25a is formed by cutting the circular pipe Ma by a vertical out such as 44 extending about half way of the pipe. A sloping out such as '45 makes an angle with the vertical out about as shown and then a flat sheet 45 is secured to the pipe to close the same in part, forming a Venturi opening below the sheet 45 and leaving the vertical segmental cut open for entry of the ashes. If a second opening is used, its vertical cut 48 is preferably less than half the diameter, consequently to have the two openings of equivalent size the upper portion of the pipe beyond the second opening is raised or hooded as at 50 so that the-depth of the vertical opening is the same in the two cases.

In this modification the pressure line I5 and the vacuum line 18 are joined by a by-pass 5i having a valve :52 therein to close the by-pass or to open it to a desired degree. Ihe bleeder valve 53 in line it may be opened in case the solids tend to enter in too great volume into the vacuum line. In such cases as the bleeder valve is opened less the hopper until the desired vacuum has been restored. This valve 53 may be opened by hand or may be automatic, opening as the vacuum pressure moves towards .zero. It is sometimes convenient to have gages in the pressure and vacuum lines as indicated at 51 and 58 respectively. The by-pass may be used exactly as shown in connection with the preferred form of the intake duct which in turn might, if desired, have a single opening. In both forms there is under all conditions an open passage for the flow of air as air always tends to travel in the line of least resistance and the design of the duct is such that it is impossible for a mass of solids only to enter and block the conveying line because of necessity both air and solids are simultaneously fed.

If the by-pass 5! were omitted, as the vacuum pressure grew more and more negative a point would be reached where the air or other fluid passing thru the intake pipe would be insufiicient to satisfy the needs of the vacuum line and hence too great aquantity of solids would be drawn in, chock-ing the pipe. With the by-pass, however, the extra 'air or fluid, unaccompanied by solids, would be available tocarry the solids and to reduce the amount of the vacuum at the pit, that is at the point where the solids are picked up. While the bleeding (at the vent or bleeder valve 53 .in line It) would serve about the same purpose, :it adds outside air and this must be removed by bleeding at the pressure manifold of the machine just on the pressure side of the fan It. The by-pas's and bleeder work well together or either can be used separately.

What I claim is: 1

'1. An anti-arch intake including a substantially horizontal pipe having a plurality of openings in the top side thereof, said openings being spaced both laterally and longitudinally and a shield above to prevent material from 'fallingvertically into the-coveredpor-tion of the opening, while permitting the material to pass angularly into such portions of the openings as are covered by the shields.

and less solids are taken from 2. The device of claim 1 in which an adjustable movable with respect to each to alter the volume of material received in the opening by area of the uncovered 3. The device of claim 1 in which the openings each have a width of roughly one-half of the pipe and each opening and shield is entirely to one side of the longitudinal centerline of the pipe.

4. The device of claim 1 in which the pipe is rectangular in cross section, the holes are rectangular, the shields are channel-shaped, open at the front end closed at its rear end.

5. The device of claim 1 in which the cross sectional area of the intake pipe at its exit end is at least double that at the entry end and each shield rises to a level higher than the top of the entry tion of the opening.

6. An intake pipe generally rectangular in cross-section and having near the edge at the junction of the top and one side an opening approximately ha-lf the width of the pipe and having a second entry hole approximately half the width of the pipe and extending from the opposite top edge of the pipe, a channel-shaped shield closed at its rear extending above a portion shield and upon the shield.

each of the intake openings independently of the other openmgs.

8. An ash removal intake pipe to be placed within an ash hopper near the bottom thereof, said pipe having an opening in the top thereof, a shield having an ash supporting top positioned well pipe and a vacuum pipe connected to the other end, and means connecting the pressure and vacuum pipes to form a closed circuit.

9. The device of claim 7 with a valved by-pass pipe connecting the pressure and vacuum sides of the intake pipe.

10. The device of claim 9 with a bleeder valve located downstream of the junction of the bypass pipe and the intake pipe.

11. An intake mal to the pipe axis, the sloping side being covered by a flat sheet, whereby the sole entry to the pipe at the V-cut opening is thru the normal out side of the opening.

12. The combination with a main ash removal pipe having a pressure end and a vacuum end and adjustable size ash receiving openings, of a bypass pipe joining the main pipe in the pressure desired vacuum has been restored.

13. The combination of claim 12 with means to control the flow through the by-pass.

NEIL H. GEBHARDI'.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 749,206 Limbert Jan. 12, 1904 827,831 Van Berendonck Aug. 7, 1906 867,068 McClave Sept. 24, 1907 888,354 Rohde May 19, 1908 1,277,333 Meakin Aug. 27, 1918 1,310,815 Weaver July 22, 1919 1,618,155 Thomas, Jr., et a1. Feb. 15, 1927 1,754,121 Sammis Apr. 8, 1930 1,852,535 Moore Apr. 5, 1932 2,234,788 Williams Mar. 11, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,457 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1905 281,811 Great Britain Dec. 15, 1927 316,988 Germany Dec. 8, 1919 615,694 Germany July 10, 1935 

